Fuel fears dominate Senate as winter looms Updated 16 minutes ago

"What is the government's plan for the availability of petroleum products?

Members of Parliament have concerns whether petrol will be available till December," she said, insisting that the government must address these concerns.Rehman said Pakistan relied on imports for nearly 70% of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) requirements, while domestic production accounted for the remaining 30%.

She said the country had received five LPG cargoes last year, compared with only two expected this year, and called for a clear supply plan to be presented before parliament.However, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Bilal Azhar Kiani said there were no fuel supply problems.

He told the house that more than 10 million people were benefiting from the government's targeted fuel subsidy scheme, while Rs1,676 billion had been budgeted under the petroleum levy for the current fiscal year.He said the government was providing targeted relief to motorcyclists, rickshaw and loader operators, and users of small cars to mitigate the impact of regional tensions on petroleum prices.Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also warned….

Linking the external crisis to domestic shortages, he said Punjab was already facing a flour shortage while the country was experiencing an LPG shortage.

He also called on Pakistan to mediate between Yemen's Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia.Rehman also questioned the utilisation of the carbon levy imposed on petroleum products, alleging that the proceeds were being absorbed into general federal revenues rather than spent on environmental protection and climate resilience projects.Citing a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, which she chairs, she said the finance ministry had acknowledged that the levy….

She argued that the money was transferred to the Federal Consolidated Fund without being earmarked for climate action.Referring to water shortages in Balochistan and the absence of resilience schools in Sindh, Rehman questioned how the levy's proceeds were being distributed among the provinces.

She said the levy should not continue in its existing form unless it was restructured to ensure that the money was ring-fenced for climate mitigation and resilience measures.Separately, Minister of State Kiani informed the Senate that the super tax had been abolished for businesses with annual incomes ranging from Rs150 million to Rs500 million, while the rate for those earning Rs500 million or more had been reduced from 10% to….

The release of another Rs65 billion in outstanding payments was awaiting completion of an audit and proceedings before the relevant committee, he added.During the Question Hour, lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the government's response to complaints against FBR and Pakistan Customs personnel.

The matter was referred to the relevant standing committee for further consideration.The proceedings ended after Senator Falak Naz Chitrali pointed out a lack of quorum.

A headcount confirmed that the required number of members was not present, prompting the chair to adjourn the session until 4pm on Monday.